Irish farmers piling into organics

This is a very interesting piece from the Independent, Ireland. Apparently the country has seen a 79 per cent (!) increase in applications for organic conversion between last year and this.

Are they seeing a similar pattern to the one that happened in the UK in the last few years? Is this their big upswing, as we had over the course of recent years here?

Hopefully it’s not just a fad based on obtaining the available subsidies and there is a market for the converting produce that will come into the system in a year or so…

The market for organic food is still healthy and still growing, but the conversion period can distort the balance between supply and demand, leading to peaks and troughs in both availability and profitability. You always need to look closely at whatever forecasts are available for the market you intend to supply.